I had to run a half a block and up three flights of stairs and my heart wouldn't stop pounding...

I feel really terrible. Really really terrible. I was in Mexico stuffing myself full of cruise food and didn't gain any weight. And then I just spent 4 days with my orchestra on a trip and suddenly gained like, 4 pounds. Really, really, really terrible disgusting this like has undone everything I've worked for all year...

I doubt it's undone all the work you've done for the year.... we are talking about 14,000 extra calories to gain 4 pounds of fat. How long was the orchestra trip?

If you have gained it all back, then you'll just need to decide to start again, this time wiser for your previous mistakes. I believe you can do that. Learning how to live a healthy life style is a process, and mistakes are a part of that. It's okay.

I doubt it's undone all the work you've done for the year.... we are talking about 14,000 extra calories to gain 4 pounds of fat. How long was the orchestra trip?

If you have gained it all back, then you'll just need to decide to start again, this time wiser for your previous mistakes. I believe you can do that. Learning how to live a healthy life style is a process, and mistakes are a part of that. It's okay.

The orchestra trip was 4 days long. Much of it was sitting on a bus for 40+ hours.

I had to eat what was given to me or else I couldn't eat. I was forced out of how I usually eat. And I couldn't do anything about it. Nothing. And just four days could undo everything.

What was the mistake? Supporting my orchestra? Should I never go on trips where I have no say in my food again?

The orchestra trip was 4 days long. Much of it was sitting on a bus for 40+ hours.

I had to eat what was given to me or else I couldn't eat. I was forced out of how I usually eat. And I couldn't do anything about it. Nothing. And just four days could undo everything.

What was the mistake? Supporting my orchestra? Should I never go on trips where I have no say in my food again?

What Biax said. You didn't undo everything, it's just that most likely the foods they were serving were high in sodium. Mix that with sitting, and you gain water weight.

For future reference, bring your own snacks with you so you can at least get *some* healthy eating in. You can make your own trail mix with assorted nuts (healthy fat), raisins and dried fruit (carbs), and pumpkin seeds (protein), and that'll reduce your dependence on their food. Throw in a handful of dark chocolate chips if you need something sweet to make it worth eating for you.

Let's look at this analytically, though. 4 pounds = 14,000 calories. Consider that you probably need 1,500-2,000 calories a day to maintain weight, and we are talking about 20,000 calories minimum for you to gain 4 pounds of fat in 4 days. Did you eat 20,000 calories over 4 days?

What Biax said. You didn't undo everything, it's just that most likely the foods they were serving were high in sodium. Mix that with sitting, and you gain water weight.

For future reference, bring your own snacks with you so you can at least get *some* healthy eating in. You can make your own trail mix with assorted nuts (healthy fat), raisins and dried fruit (carbs), and pumpkin seeds (protein), and that'll reduce your dependence on their food. Throw in a handful of dark chocolate chips if you need something sweet to make it worth eating for you.

Let's look at this analytically, though. 4 pounds = 14,000 calories. Consider that you probably need 1,500-2,000 calories a day to maintain weight, and we are talking about 20,000 calories minimum for you to gain 4 pounds of fat in 4 days. Did you eat 20,000 calories over 4 days?

I could have. Or I could have just not moved nearly as much as I usually do, so my calorie need would have been very, very low...

I could have. Or I could have just not moved nearly as much as I usually do, so my calorie need would have been very, very low...

That trail mix sounds good though.

Actually, physical activity is a small sliver of your total energy expenditure - around 30%. So even if you only burn 1,500 calories a day (which I think we calculated as being low for you), we are still talking about ~1,000 calories.

Sorry, I'm not going to let you feel too guilty for letting yourself enjoy a few days of being off your diet.

Actually, physical activity is a small sliver of your total energy expenditure - around 30%. So even if you only burn 1,500 calories a day (which I think we calculated as being low for you), we are still talking about ~1,000 calories.

Sorry, I'm not going to let you feel too guilty for letting yourself enjoy a few days of being off your diet.

No, no, I insist, the insanity of sitting is sure to conserve tons of energy.

What diet are you talking about? I did not enjoy being "off" of whatever diet I'm on at all! I like the food I eat at home and the food they gave us was absolutely terrible!